01
Seizing on the final reamer pass
The alloy work-hardens fast. A reamer run at the same feed and speed as 316 stainless will rub, not cut. The bore comes out oversize, then the tool snaps and the part has to be scrapped or welded.
Nickel-Copper Alloy Machining
Monel 500 N05500 CNC Machined Parts
We machine K-500 parts for seawater, sour gas and caustic service. Age-hardened bar, tight bores, and a machining plan that accounts for work-hardening before the first cut.
Ø400 mm rotary table±0.005 mmRa 0.2–0.8 μmNo minimum order quantity100% inspectionISO 9001:2015
15 yearsMachining nickel alloys since 2011
16Simultaneous 5-axis machining centers
±0.005 mmAchievable tolerance on K-500
99.99%Qualification rate before shipment
Where these jobs go wrong
Four failures we get called in to fix
02
Bore ovality after drilling
K-500 pushes the tool away more than steel does. Drill a deep small bore in one pass and it comes out tapered and out of round by 0.03–0.05 mm. The bearing will not seat properly.
03
Residual stress moving the part
Age-hardened bar carries internal stress. Rough the shaft, walk away, and the diameter drifts overnight. Finish dimensions measured hot off the machine will not hold at inspection.
04
Bought to the wrong temper
Suppliers ship hot-finished bar when the drawing calls for age-hardened stock. Yield strength and hardness land below spec, and the shaft deflects under load. The material certificate has to be checked against the callout, not assumed.
How we run the job
Machining K-500 without wrecking the part
Sharp tooling, conservative speeds, and a plan for stress before the finish pass.
Tooling and cutting data
Cut it once, cut it cold
The alloy sits at roughly 28 HRC in the aged condition and work-hardens the moment a dull edge rubs it. We keep carbide grades for nickel alloys in the machine and change them before the corner radius wears past its limit. Positive rake, light depth of cut, and no dwelling in the cut.
Speeds stay low and feeds stay heavy enough to keep the edge biting. Coolant goes to the tip under high pressure so chips clear the flutes instead of being recut. That single detail decides whether a deep bore comes out on size or oversized.
- 1Sharp, dedicated toolingNickel-alloy carbide grades, replaced before edge breakdown.
- 2Feeds that biteHeavy enough to cut under the hardened layer, not rub on it.
- 3High-pressure coolantChips leave the flute before they are cut a second time.
Process control
Stress relief before the final pass
Roughing releases stress that was locked in the bar. We rough with stock left on, let the part settle, then take the finishing cuts in a separate operation. On long shafts and thin housings this is the difference between a bore that stays round and one that moves after the fixture is released.
In-process checks run on the same datum as the final drawing. If a diameter is trending, we correct the offset before the next part, not after ten of them are finished. All parts are inspected before shipment, and inspection reports are available on request.
- 1Rough, settle, finishSeparate operations so the finishing cuts remove settled material.
- 2Datum-consistent checksIn-process measurement on the same datum the drawing calls out.
- 3Reports availableRaw material check, in-process monitoring, final inspection on request.
Material comparison
When K-500 is the right call, and when it is not
Corrosion resistance is not the only variable. Machinability and cost matter too.
| Alloy | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Monel K-500 (N05500) | High-strength seawater and sour service parts | Work-hardens; needs sharp tooling and low speed |
| Monel 400 (N04400) | Static corrosion resistance, easier to machine | Lower yield strength; not for loaded shafts |
| 316L stainless | General marine and chemical hardware | Pits in chlorides above moderate temperature |
| Inconel 625 | High temperature plus chloride service | Harder to cut, higher cost per part |
| Titanium Grade 5 | Weight-critical seawater components | Poor thermal conductivity, galling risk |
What we make
K-500 part families we machine
01
Pump and impeller parts
Impeller housings, wear rings, and shaft sleeves. Bores held to bearing fit, sealing faces flat enough to seat a gasket without lapping.
02
Valve bodies and trim
Stems, seats, and body components for seawater and chemical service. Seat angles and stem diameters cut to the drawing in one setup where the geometry allows.
03
Propeller and marine shafts
Shafts, couplings, and stern hardware. Turned between centers on the mill-turn centers, with keyways and tapers cut without losing concentricity.
04
Fasteners and studs
Bolts, studs, and threaded fittings for offshore and chemical plant. Threads rolled or cut to class fit, with the runout checked on the thread axis.
05
Instrument and sensor bodies
Housings, transducer bodies, and pressure port fittings. Thin walls and small cross-holes without distorting the bore that carries the sensing element.
06
Oil and gas downhole parts
Hangers, subs, and flow control components. Deep bores, seal grooves, and threads on long parts kept straight through the whole length.
Capacity
Machines, sizes and finishes on the K-500 line
Numbers come from the equipment list, not from a sales sheet.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) | On turned and milled features |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | Fine finish on sealing faces |
| Max part size | 4,000 mm | Maximum processing size |
| 5-axis travels | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm | Large envelope for long parts |
| Mill-turn centers | 16 machines | Shafts and housings in one setup |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | Indexed and simultaneous work |
| Finishes | Bead blasting, brushing, polishing | Laser marking, 1.5 mm minimum character height |
| Order size | One prototype to 10,000+ parts | No minimum order quantity |
Why GreatLight
Six things that decide a K-500 job
15Y
Nickel alloy experience
Machining nickel-copper and nickel-base alloys since 2011, on parts from prototypes to production runs.
±0.005
Tolerance we hold
Turned and milled features held at ±0.005 mm, checked in process on the drawing datum.
16
5-axis capacity
Simultaneous 5-axis centers cut angled ports and contoured faces without stacking setups.
127
Machines on site
Three wholly-owned plants with 127 high-precision CNC machines and 150 technicians.
12H
Quote and DFM
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours of receiving the drawing and material callout.
100%
Inspection before shipment
Every part inspected. Raw material check, in-process monitoring, final inspection, reports on request.
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
150Technicians on staff
3–5 daysTypical shipping window
<2%Historical late-delivery probability
Industry fit
Where these parts end up
Marine and offshore
Shafts, housings and couplings for seawater service. Bores held to bearing fit, faces flat enough to seal.
- ±0.005 mm
- Ra 0.2–0.8 μm
- 100% inspection
Chemical processing
Valve trim and pump components exposed to acids and caustics. Sealing faces finished and checked before shipment.
- Ra 0.8–1.6 μm
- Shafts to 4,000 mm
- Reports on request
Oil and gas
Downhole and surface hardware with deep bores and threads. Straightness checked along the full length.
- Deep bores
- Mill-turn
- 3–5 days ship
Industrial equipment
Wear parts and instrument bodies for plant machinery. Small cross-holes without distorting the main bore.
- 5-axis
- No MOQ
- ISO 9001:2015
FAQs
Questions engineers ask before sending a K-500 drawing
Is Monel K-500 the same as N05500?
Yes. K-500 is the common trade name and N05500 is the UNS number for the same nickel-copper alloy, age-hardened with aluminum and titanium.
When you send a drawing, we read the temper from the callout. Hot-finished and age-hardened bar behave differently at the spindle, so we confirm which one the part needs before quoting.
Can you hold ±0.005 mm on a long K-500 shaft?
On features we can measure and cut in a stable setup, yes. Long shafts are turned between centers and checked on the same datum as the drawing.
Where a feature sits far from the holding points, we rough, let the part settle, then finish in a separate operation. That is how the diameter stays put after the fixture is released.
Which tooling do you use on this alloy?
Nickel-alloy carbide grades run at low surface speed with a positive rake and a light depth of cut. The edge is changed before the corner radius breaks down.
High-pressure coolant goes to the cutting tip. On deep bores this is what keeps the chip from being recut and the bore from coming out oversize.
What surface finish can you deliver on sealing faces?
Ra 0.2–0.8 μm on fine-finished faces, and Ra 0.8–1.6 μm on standard high-finish work. As-machined surfaces land in the Ra 1.6–3.2 μm band.
The finish you get depends on the face geometry and whether we can reach it with a rigid tool. Send the seal callout and we will say what is realistic.
Do you cut threads and keyways on the same setup?
Where the geometry allows, yes. Mill-turn centers handle turning, milling and threading without re-chucking, which keeps concentricity between the shaft diameter and the thread axis.
Parts that need heat treatment or stress relief between operations are planned as separate setups, and the datums are carried through both.
How do you confirm the material is the correct temper?
We check the material certificate against the drawing callout before the bar goes to the machine. Hardness is verified on the stock.
If the certificate shows hot-finished bar and the drawing calls for age-hardened stock, we stop and ask. Cutting the wrong temper wastes the part and the lead time.
What is the smallest order you accept?
There is no minimum order quantity. We run one prototype and we run 10,000+ part runs.
For a single part, the setup still has to be right. The machining plan is the same whether the order is one piece or a thousand.
How fast can you quote and ship?
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days.
Uploads are confidential and an NDA is available on request.
Send your K-500 drawing
Tell us the part, the temper, and the sealing or fit callouts. We will come back with a quote, a DFM note, and a machining plan.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantityNDA on request
